The black wings transformed as if they had truly become materialized shadow, baring fangs and brandishing claws, menacing and ferocious. The violent roar alone sent shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it. Never mind Shinku and Suigintou; even Canary and Hinaichigo, who had remained below watching cautiously, were trembling violently beneath the dragon's shout. Instinctively, they crouched low, clutching their heads, seeking a vestige of safety.

While such a reaction was partly due to their inherent immaturity, the mere sound of the roar frightened them so deeply that the pressure borne by Souseiseki, who was directly facing the black dragon, must have been immense.

An invisible majesty pinned her nearly immobile; she could only rely on sheer instinct to hold her shears before her, attempting to ward off the black dragon's assault.

Souseiseki was a gardener, her ability being the removal of weeds that obstruct the growth of the Tree of Heart. Simply put, she could instill in those mired in darkness and pain the courage and strength to move toward the light. In combat, she used only these Gardener’s Shears as her weapon, and almost every engagement was a frontal assault—which was inevitable, given that she wielded a close-combat weapon, lacking any means of ranged attack.

Although her fighting prowess was considerable—she had never truly lost to Shinku in their past battles—facing the even stronger Suigintou, she found it difficult to mount any meaningful resistance.

Boom!

With a violent impact, the black dragon viciously clamped down on Souseiseki’s shears. The sheer kinetic force nearly sent her flying, but she gritted her teeth and held on desperately. Yet, the disparity in strength was ultimately too vast. When Suigintou increased the power of her attack once more, Souseiseki finally could not hold on, and she was knocked down, shears and all.

"That’s the end," Suigintou sneered coldly, immediately preparing to strike Souseiseki down. But before she could move, the previously clear environment was instantly shrouded in thick fog, swallowing Souseiseki whole and rendering her untargetable.

"Is that... Suigintou?" After a brief moment of confusion, Suigintou seemed to realize something and glanced toward where Suigintou was supposed to be. Indeed, just as she suspected, Suigintou was no longer in her original position.

Like Souseiseki, Suigintou was also a gardener, but her ability was that of a gardener's dew, nurturing the Tree of Heart to rapid growth. Furthermore, she could activate artificial spirits to enter the dreams of others. In battle, her primary means of attack involved rapidly growing colossal vines. While her direct combat strength wasn't overwhelmingly formidable, she was exceptionally skilled as a support operative.

For instance, her maneuver just now achieved an unexpected effect, saving Souseiseki from Suigintou's lethal intent.

"I see. Though she's a useless crybaby, she is a good elder sister who cares for her younger sibling, Suigintou," Suigintou remarked mockingly, then moved, instantly dissolving into the dense fog.

In truth, if Suigintou had used her full power from the start—no, even just a tenth of it—she could have instantly annihilated everyone present. But she hadn't. From the start of the battle until now, she had not once utilized the Host's power, choosing instead to fight Shinku and the others using only the inherent abilities of a Rozen Maiden.

If anyone asked her the reason, the proud Suigintou would scornfully reply that dealing with a few useless sisters required no exertion of true strength. But whether that answer held any truth was known only to her.

It was the same with the invitation she sent to Shinku and the others. The moment they accepted the invitation, their connection to their medium would be severed—this was the reason she believed Shinku and the others were inevitably compelled to come. Theoretically, she used this method to weaken Shinku and the others. But in reality, although their power was unavoidably diminished slightly, it at least allowed them to fight without reservation, unburdened by ties—wasn't that also a form of tenderness toward her sisters?

After all, whether Shinku and the others were weaker or not held little significance to the current Suigintou.

Of course, Suigintou would never voice these thoughts to anyone.

Within the thick fog, visibility was severely restricted. Even for Suigintou, without recourse to the Host's power, finding Souseiseki in a short time frame was challenging, especially with vines occasionally emerging from the mist to impede her movements.

While not yet posing a real threat, what slightly puzzled Suigintou was that, based on her understanding of Suigintou, without her medium, she shouldn't be capable of generating fog on such a massive scale. Why was her power not only not weakened after losing her medium, but seemingly even stronger than before?

Meanwhile, while Suigintou searched for Souseiseki, Suigintou took Souseiseki's hand and navigated through the fog without hindrance. Since Souseiseki was also affected by the fog and couldn't see the path ahead, she had to lead.

Moments later, when the two reached the other side of the fog where visibility returned, Suigintou finally stopped. She grasped Souseiseki’s shoulders and called out loudly, "Souseiseki’s shears exist to guard the human heart, not to harm others! So, come back with me right now!"

Souseiseki froze, then turned her head with a look of difficulty. "But... Father..."

"Souseiseki!"

"Father always wished to meet the true Alice. That is Father's wish, so..." As if steeling herself once more, Souseiseki met Suigintou's eyes seriously. "I must fulfill that wish! Suigintou, please stop blocking me, or else..."

"I won't allow it!" Hearing the veiled farewell in Souseiseki's words, Suigintou shook her head violently, her eyes filling with tears. "Always talking about Father, Father, Father! Don't you care that you keep making your sister cry?"

"Uh..." Souseiseki’s mouth snapped shut, unable to utter a word.

Then, before she could respond, Suigintou embraced her tightly, sobbing, "I am content just to be with you, Souseiseki. What does it matter if we become Alice or not? I love Father dearly too, but if it means losing you... if you still intend to fight after this, then kill me first!"

"Suigintou..." Souseiseki's body trembled involuntarily, her expression caught between desire and restraint. But in the end, she reluctantly closed her eyes and pushed Suigintou away. "I'm sorry... there's no turning back now."

Suigintou stood momentarily stunned, collapsing backward onto the ground with a soft thud, a look of heartbreaking sorrow washing over her face.

"Yes, there is no turning back," at that moment, Suigintou's voice sounded again. Souseiseki reflexively looked toward the sound. Before she could see the figure, the black dragon burst forth from the earth between them, instantly blasting both sisters away, then snapping its jaws shut around Souseiseki’s legs while she was suspended in mid-air.

"Souseiseki!" Suigintou's face changed drastically. Disregarding her own injuries, she rushed toward Souseiseki at top speed, weeping as she clawed at the giant head, desperately trying to pry Souseiseki from the dragon's maw.

But all her struggles were in vain, and Souseiseki, beneath the dragon’s jaws, was contorted in pain.

"How wretched, Suigintou," the black wings drifted down from the sky, and Suigintou materialized behind Suigintou.

Hearing the voice, Suigintou spun around violently, spreading her arms to shield Suigintou. She pleaded mournfully, "I beg you, Suigintou, stop fighting! Stop hurting Souseiseki! If... if you truly want the Rosa Mystica, I will give you mine! And then, I will never hurt anyone again."

"Suigintou?!" Souseiseki stared at her sister's back in utter shock.

Upon hearing Suigintou’s words, the malevolent expression on Suigintou's face softened slightly, but that flicker of hesitation vanished quickly. She grinned, "Ehh-heh, willing to sacrifice your own life for your sister? What a noble elder sister you are, Suigintou. Since you put it that way, I shall accept your Rosa Mystica."

As the words fell, Suigintou's right hand mercilessly shot toward Suigintou.

Suigintou closed her eyes in fear, yet she remained rooted to the spot.

Though timid and prone to mischief, often doing things that invited anger, in this moment, she was the strongest and bravest girl—willing to sacrifice her own life to protect her sister and halt this cruel war.

"No!!!"

However, just as Suigintou was about to kill Suigintou, Souseiseki let out a piercing, soul-shattering scream. Her dormant potential exploded within her, and she violently wrenched herself free from the dragon's grip, sweeping Suigintou clear at the last possible second.

Ssssk!

Almost simultaneously, Suigintou’s right hand plunged into Souseiseki's chest. Amidst her pained moan, a crystal radiating a dazzling and beautiful light shot out from her breast along with Suigintou's hand. It was then cupped in Suigintou's palm and slowly brought toward her mouth.

When all the light vanished, Souseiseki, completely drained of vitality, fell limply toward the ground like a broken doll... Her shears falling from her grasp and her hat flying away seemed to signal the definitive end of her life.

"Souseiseki!!!" Seeing this and unable to reach her in time, Suigintou cried out in anguish, flying forward with all her might. She finally managed to catch Souseiseki before she hit the ground, tears raining down as she desperately called her sister's name.

On the other side, because Suigintou had been injured, the fog she created dissipated. Shinku, who had been unable to move while affected by the mist, finally arrived. Seeing Souseiseki, who had been robbed of her Rosa Mystica and was barely clinging to life, her expression was one of utter disbelief.

"Suigintou! You..." Looking up, Shinku’s furious gaze locked directly onto Suigintou.

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